When The Last Teardrop Falls
by KC Clark
Summary: When everything is said and done will Hermione and Severus get the happy ending they both deserve? Sequel to 'War Changed People'.


_**When The Last Teardrop Falls**_

_**Summary: **__When everything is said and done will Hermione and Severus get the happy ending they both deserve? Sequel to 'War Changed People'._

_**Warning: **__This story contains content that may not be suitable for all viewers. Viewer discretion is advised. Content includes mentions of violence, sexual activities, and character death._

_**Pairing: **__Hermione Granger/Severus Snape_

_**Author's Note: **__This is for anyone who wants to know what happened after 'War Changed People", if you are happy with the way that ended then don't read this one. If you were not pleased with the way it ended then here is how I'm going to end it. Unlike its companion this fic has not been betaed. Still searching for a steady beta actually, I had found someone but I have no idea what happened to her. But enjoy the story!_

**~*~**

There was a flash of red light and suddenly the house was filled with the sound of screaming voices and running feet. Hermione sat straight up in bed and looked around. The curtains were open and more flashes of light were coming through. With an instant recognition she felt the bottom of her stomach drop out.

It had begun. The time of the Final Battle was here.

She glanced down at the man who was lying beside her. His eyes were open and he was staring up at her with a look that told her silently that he wasn't ready to fight, that he wasn't ready to die. She felt a tear roll down her cheek before she collapsed and began to sob uncontrollably into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. But the comfort was short lived when the door to his bedroom burst open and in strode Molly Weasley followed by Tonks, Harry, as well as several other Order members. They stopped and stared at the two people who were embracing on the bed. Molly turned a deep shade of red and quickly began to push everyone out of the room.

"What's going on?" Harry asked dunked under Molly's arm and stepped a little further into the room. Hermione looked up at him and then at Severus who was moving to the edge of the bed to retrieve his discarded clothes. She knew that she should explain things to him but as she opened her mouth there was a huge blast causing the entire house to shake. Instantly she reached down and grabbed the comforter, as Severus was using the sheet to cover himself, and jumped from the bed. A wave of panic hit her as she stumbled slightly when a second blast shook the house again. Glancing back at Severus she found him looking out the window with his pants on but nothing else.

Looking back at the others in the room she felt a hot blush creep up her face. It was just great, she could die at any moment and she was embarrassed by being found in bed with the man she loved. Damned if her priorities weren't still a bit out of whack.

"There isn't time for that Harry dear. Come on Hermione, get dressed. Dumbledore sent word that the first batch of wounded will be coming in any minute. This is the end." Hermione couldn't help but make a silent smart comment about Molly being Captain Obvious.

Severus looked over his shoulder at the people still standing in the doorway. They all quickly turned and left, closing the door behind them. Hermione began to gather up her things and quickly tugged them back on. She knew what it would look like, her walking out of this room in the clothes she had worn the day before, but she couldn't find it inside herself to care. There wasn't really a point. If Harry failed in his mission to destroy Voldemort then she was as good as dead anyway. They all were.

Once they were dressed, they raced down the stairs just as the front door came open and several Order members came packing people in and calling for help. Instantly the sound of Mrs. Black's screaming was added to the crisis. She looked over and noticed that Severus was heading for the front door of Grimmauld Place. Hurrying forward she grabbed him by the arm and turned him around to her.

"I love you," she blurted and neither noticed that several of those walking through the door stopped to stare at them. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her up to him.

"Hermione, we need you in here!" Molly yelled from the kitchen which had been turned into a makeshift hospital room. She threw a glance over her shoulder and found her waiting in the doorway, a look of disdain on her face. Hermione really didn't give a blue god's damn if she disapproved of her and Severus. She and Ron had given it their go around and it hadn't worked. End of story, good-bye, don't bring it up again. But she couldn't help but think that Molly may have had some other reason for her disdain than just her old wishes for Ron and Hermione.

She quickly whipped back around and looked at Severus who had turned to look out the opened door. She saw his eyes racking over the scene taking place in the middle of a Muggle street. Death Eaters came by the hundreds, the Light and Dark faced off in the middle of the street. She could just see Harry standing among the masses. Her heart beat faster as she noticed several Muggles were mixed in with the throng of fighters. But it couldn't be helped. Somehow Voldemort had found out that Grimmauld Place existed and that it was the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. She watched as several Order members threw curses, hexes, and a variety of other magical spells at the oncoming group of Death Eaters. Snape had long ago been found to be a spy and had been lucky enough to escape with only a badly mangled leg to show for it. He turned back to her and she felt the tears coming again.

"I love you too." He whispered bending his head to kiss her softly. She wrapped her arms tighter around him, not wanting to let him go. She didn't want to lose her love so soon after finding him.

"I don't want to do this. I don't want to let you go." She whispered as Remus poked his head out of the kitchen to yell at her again. He didn't say a word, simply watched as Severus pulled back and looked down at her. Tears filled his eyes, a very out of character reaction indeed, but he was quick to hide them as he again hugged Hermione close and buried his face in her hair. He breathed in her scent, knowing that each moment he stood there was another moment he was neglecting his duties to the Order. But he just wanted one more moment with her, his heart aching at the thought of leaving her.

"Promise me you'll come back, dead or alive. Promise." This time when he pulled back he stepped back till she was at arm's length. He stared down into her eyes, tears running in silent tracks down her cheeks. He closed his eyes and prayed to a God he didn't believe in that he could keep his promise to her.

"I promise. You must promise me as well." He insisted taking a step out the door onto the small front porch. He watched as Dumbledore stood battling with a masked Death Eater and Potter was facing off with Lucius Malfoy. He watched as the boy just barely avoided a ricocheted curse of undetermined origin and type while trying to disarm Malfoy to no avail. Severus knew that he had to do something. "Please love, promise me as well." He insisted as he began to back down the steps always keeping a close check on what was going on behind him. At her nod he flew down the remaining steps to aid Potter in his fight leaving Hermione to tend to the wounded and to wait and wonder.

_Several hours later..._

Hermione whipped the sweat from her forehead and refocused on the badly cut body of Tonks Lupin that lay on the converted kitchen table/operating table. She had to be very careful so as not to miss any of the several lacerations that littered the woman's body. Curses could be heard coming from the sitting area where those who were still waiting to be cared for were waiting. They were those whose battle wounds were not fatal but still she knew they hurt like hell. They had run out of Pain Relief Potion hours ago, within the first three hours of fighting, and still the war raged in the streets. It was well into the evening now and she knew that still more people were being carted into Black House every few minutes. She'd seen every type of wound there was and she had seen way to many warriors (from both sides) die as she stood over them, attempting to help. But there was only so much she could do.

She looked up as Dumbledore burst through the front door carrying an unconscious Harry in his arms. Her heart beat wildly as she watched Molly rush to his side.

"The war is over. The Dark Lord is gone." The words were received with much cheering as well as many tears. She felt her throat close as the Headmaster brought Harry into the kitchen and deposited him onto a table that Molly had transfigured from one of the wooden benches. Throughout the whole of the war Molly had spoken no more than necessary and was rarely around when Hermione needed her. She knew that she had set up another treatment room somewhere in the house and had Ginny running back and forth between the two rooms till the young girl was nearly ragged with fatigue. Apparently, Molly was unaware of the fact that Ginny had not gotten much sleep last night as she and Harry had spent what was supposed to be their last few hours together.

As if the girl could hear her thoughts she appeared in the door and ran to the table where Harry lay. She stopped dead at the side when she noticed that Harry wasn't moving. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears threatened to fall.

"Is he..." Ginny couldn't bring herself to speak the words aloud and Molly put her arm around her daughter's shoulders in comfort. Hermione felt a brief ping of envy as she watched mother comfort daughter. She didn't have that, not right now away. Her parents were safely on vacation in France with friends.

"No dear child. Harry was merely knocked unconscious when the Dark Lord was vanquished. I suspect he'll be awake soon enough. In fact..." Dumbledore trailed off and drew his wand. Pointing it at Harry's chest he muttered a revival spell and they watched as Harry took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Though Molly tried to hold him down so she could exam him better he insisted on sitting up and grabbed Ginny. Pulling her close he held her tightly. Hermione turned her head and continued to clean Tonks' cuts. She felt an intense sense of sadness as she finished up with Tonks and levitated her up the stairs and into the room that she shared with Remus. The man entered just as Hermione was about to walk out.

"How is she?" He asked as he crossed the room to sit down beside Tonks on the bed. Hermione paused at the door and watched as the man sat down beside his wife. She felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes and closed them against their onset. She had no doubt that before this evening was done she'd have a psychotic break. She had refrained from asking about Severus because she hadn't wanted to know right away. There were still patients to be seen to and things to be done. And she couldn't do her assigned tasks if she was distraught over the death of her lover. So she let herself believe that he was simply out and about helping clean up the carnage after the battle. He would be back. She had never been good at lying to herself but this was one moment where a lie was absolutely necessary to preserve her sanity as well as the sanity of those around her.

"She'll be fine. She just needs lots of rest. I recommend that you stay with her for a while. She'll need you when she wakes up to reassure her that everything is fine." Remus turned his head to offer her a reassuring smile when he saw her eyes were closed and she appeared to be in a state of distress. He got up and rushed over her, putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Accepting the comfort was easy enough. She wrapped her arms around her ex-Professor and hugged him close while he did the same to her. She and Remus had become rather good friends of the years since her exit from Hogwarts. Of all the men she'd meet, she found that Remus was probably the most honest and most gentle of all. Tonks was one luck woman.

After a few moments she pulled back and sighed. She had patients to attend to, people who needed to be bandaged up and cared for, and it was her place to do it no matter if she wanted to run through the front door and search hell and back for Severus.

"Thank you Remus. I needed that." The older man nodded and watched as she left, closing the door ever so gently behind her. Instantly he wished that he could have given her some news, something that would have eased her suffering. He knew all too well what it was like to hang in that balance between not knowing if a loved one was dead or alive. It was a hell that only few really knew and that those who did didn't want to know. As he walked back over to sit beside his wife he sent up a silent pray that everything was okay, that Severus would return to Hermione unharmed or at the very least alive.

~*~

Hermione worked well on through the night with no sight, word, or even a whisper of what had become of Severus Snape. She had taken a break to grab something to eat when she had finally allowed herself to believe the possibility that he might not be coming back to her. She'd cried and thrown things for well over twenty minutes, cursing every God of every faith group she could think of. Then she had exited the library and went back to work.

Now she was making her final rounds through the people who lay scattered over the floors of the house, all were sleeping soundly, some she worried over because they seemed a bit to still but after a few quick spells she knew they were alright. She sighed as she came to stand in front of the front door. She opened it as quietly as possible and stepped out onto the small front porch. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the porch railing, her head propped on the slim wooden column.

The sky was clear and several Muggles walked through the streets watching as police officers and firefighters battled the blazes that the wizards hadn't had time to put out. The preservation of the Wizarding Community was to important to risk being seen doing much more than helping as they doused the flames with water and questioned several eyewitnesses. All of them would tell a different story, those who did know the truth would probably keep silent because if they did tell what they had _really_ saw people would think they had gone barking mad and have them sent to a nice little padded cell somewhere. Hermione began to wonder if maybe she should go ahead and sign herself into one of those padded cells. Her thoughts raced with the possibilities of what could have become of Severus. Was he alive? Dead? Hurt somewhere waiting for help that wasn't coming? Had he been caught by Death Eaters and dragged off to be tortured slowly before being killed? Was he simply helping clear away the damages?

Millions of things could have happened. Some of which Hermione wasn't too fond of thinking about. But as she looked out over the damage one thing was for sure. It was over. Finally, after all their years of working and waiting, the whole damn thing was over! She was happy, sad, angry, upset, confused, and hurt. Every emotion she had ever felt came to the surface as she stared at a building burning across the street. The flames, like her emotions, consumed everything and destroyed it. She brought a hand up and rubbed it over her face. Tears began to leak down her face as she stood alone on the dark porch. She heard the chatter from the people across the street and of some of the people who had yet to fall asleep inside. The world moved as it always did and she felt as if she were standing still.

She thought about last night. About the way that Severus had touched her and made love to her. It had been so perfect and amazing. He was everything that she had ever wanted in a lover. And she loved him. That one single fact was what kept her heart breaking over and over again. She loved him and he'd been ripped away from her. She watched as across the street a man came stumbling out of the burning building suspended between two firefighters; a woman ran forward and he leapt toward her holding her close and kissing her as he wrapped her tightly against him. Hermione smiled but it was sad.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Said a soft male voice from behind her. She froze, she knew who that voice belonged to but she had too much pain inside of her to really hope. There was no way that it was him. Slowly turning around she came face-to-face with the man she had thought was gone forever. He looked no worse for wear. He had a few scratched here and there on his face and his arm was in a sling but other than that he looked well. She wondered briefly when he had gotten into the house and who had bandaged him up. Tears streamed silently down her face as she stared at him.

"Severus," she whispered and took a small step forward reaching out to touch him, to make sure he was real. Her hand cradled his cheek gently as she rubbed her thumb over his lips and watched his eyes fall shut. She threw her arms around his neck and he reached around her with his good arm and pulled her close. Burying her nose into his neck she breathed in his scent and absorbed the filling of his arm around her. She felt safe and warm all at once and began to laugh and cry uncontrollably.

"Have you gone barking mad woman?" He asked pulling back to look down at her. She nodded her head then shook it before nodding again. She couldn't quite make up her mind if she had indeed lost her mind yet.

"I'm not quite sure." She gasped out as she continued on her laughing/crying binge. There were so many things that she wanted to say and so many that she couldn't. Her tongue tied itself into a million knots, her heart was pounding ninety miles an hour and above all else her body felt as if it was going to simply float up and away and she'd be helpless to stop it.

"Well, when you are let me know." She smiled and buried her head back against his chest. He gathered her close, careful not to bump his sore arm. She wrapped herself around him tightly just simply breathed. Everything was okay now, everything was perfect.

"Let's go inside." She suggested stepping back and holding out her hand. "I want to make love to you." She whispered as he slide his hand into hers and grasped tightly. He smiled at her and the simple beauty of it brought on a whole new wave of tears. The war might not have killed her but the emotions after were sure trying their best.

Together she and Severus climbed the stairs that lead to his room. It was the only room not occupied. Harry and Ginny had taken over one room and Ginny had dared even her mother to knock on the door. Lupin and Tonks had then taken the room that Ginny and Hermione had shared upon Hermione's request. She hadn't thought she'd need it.

As soon as the door feel shut behind them, and a Locking spell as well as a Silencing charm were firmly in place, the two lovers began to tear at clothes. Kisses, much more than those of the previous night, were exchanged and hands roamed freely skirting over scraps and bumps as well as sore bruises. Hermione kissed every inch of him she could reach, more than happy when her attentions were returned in full. Words were whispered into the darkness. They were exclamations of love and devotion, of things that could not wait to be said for fear of never having the chance. The immediate threat may have been gone but the fear of losing life was still very much there. It would take a long time, a very long time, for it to dull again.

Severus lay her down in the single shaft of light that fell over the bed. He brushed his hands over her body and she sighed with contentment. Her life was complete now. She had everything she needed in this man. He brushed his hand over her face, tracing carefully each and every line of her face as he spoke to her.

"You are an angel, my love, my heart. You were my very reason for fighting. Looking at you now I know that nothing in this world could ever compare to what I have found with you. I will not lie to you Hermione. I am not an easy man, as you well know, but I can promise you that I will, until the day I die, love you and care for you as only a man who loves you can." Tears that had never stopped continued to flow with renewed vigor. She reached up and ran her hand over his shoulder, along his good arm as he balanced himself carefully on top of her. "I can't offer you much, not really anything at all, but I can offer you more love and affection than anyone. I can give you a home, a place to raise children if you want, and place to make your own but I can't give you nearly all that you deserve. I don't have riches or diamonds, all I have is my heart and even that isn't worth much." He confessed as tears began to leak down his cheeks. Her heart bleed at the sight of such a strong man breaking. She could not believe what she was seeing. "I don't deserve you." He whispered as he lowered his head to her neck and pressed light kisses. He shook with the pent up emotions he had kept hidden for so long. Hermione gently pushed at his shoulders, sending him onto his back. She moved to straddle his hips.

He reached up and spread a hand over her belly. He could image her large with child, his child. He would be a good father; she would make an excellent mother. They would make a wonderful family. They won't stop at one child, no, they'd have more. He could easily see them having eight or nine children, ten at the most. Severus knew that many would protest their being together, Potter and Weasley among them. But he was sure in his love for Hermione and in her love for him.

"Severus," she whispered as she stared down at him. He looked into her dark brown eyes and knew that she could see what he was thinking. He leaned up and pressed a light kiss to the soft skin of her tummy. He brushed his nose against her bellybutton and smiled when she gasped. "I know that you can't give me everything you think I deserve _but_ I can tell you that you already given me everything I have ever wanted. You have given me love, affection, and quite possibly a child if my calculations are correct. There is nothing more in this world I could ask for. I love you and if anyone in this bloody country deserves to be happy it's you. I don't care what anyone says or thinks you're mine. I wish to never from this day forward to be parted from you." Severus grinned at her as she stared down at him with a stern expression. Only his Hermione could do such a thing while sitting naked as the day she was born on top of him. Gods, how he loved this woman!

"Well then, I guess I should ask you to make an honest man of me and accept my hand in marriage." Her eyes grew wide as she looked down at him. He grinned and watched as her mouth dropped open and she began to breathe in shallow little puffs. "What do you say love? Will you marry the greasy old git from the dungeons?" He reached up and ran his hands down her back. She fell forward and buried her face against his neck.

"Yes," she whispered after a few moments and pulled back to look down at him. A smile spread across her face and his answered in kind. It felt so good to have such a reason to smile. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his.

**~*~**

_And that dear reader is the story of how I, Hermione Jane Granger-Snape, came to be married to the greasy old bat from the dungeons, Professor Severus Charles Snape. It's taken a full ten years for the Wizarding world to right itself after the Final Battle. Dark witches and wizards still pop up from time to time but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been._

_Severus and I built a lovely home not far from Hogwarts, where we are both professors now. I teach Transfigurations and Severus continues to teach Potions. The only difference is that now students from all houses actually look forward to the class. The change in the man that I love has been remarkable. He is so much more than I ever thought he would be. Oh, don't get me wrong dear reader. He can still be a right horrid old bastard when he wants but for the most part he is nothing but a loving and caring husband, teacher, and, yes, father._

_It was almost eight months to the day after the Final Battle that our first child was born, Elizabeth Lilly Snape. I swear to you reader you would have thought that the sun rose and set on that little girl. Severus treats her so gently and he showers her, as well as our other children, with love and attention. A year after Elizabeth came the twins, Nathanial Michael Snape and Edward Charles Snape. Two years later, came another little girl, Hailey Lynn Snape. Then came Justin Harry Snape, Cameron Jared Snape, Stanley Braxton Snape, and Mary Katharine Snape all a year apart and each one a little more rambunctious than the last. After eight children Severus and I decided that was enough. My husband had confided in me many times that he always saw the two of us with a large family and quite honestly I think that it came as no surprise to those who knew us._

_Harry and Ron took the news of mine and Severus's engagement surprisingly well. I had expected a complete knock down drag out but that wasn't so. The only person who really seemed to have an issue with our joining was Molly Weasley. Up until the minute I married Severus she walked around acting all frustrated and grouchy. But the moment we took our vows and bond ourselves with an Eternal Bond she shut up. She still makes a fuss sometimes, especially at holidays if she's had a little too much to drink but all in all she's happy with the way things turned out I guess._

_As for the rest of my little group of friends, they all got what they deserved. Tonks and Remus ended up having ten children, Harry finally came out of the closet to everyone and is living in London with his partner of ten years Draco Malfoy (I know, I didn't see it coming either), Ginny ended up marrying Neville Longbottom and the two of them have six children, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore got married about three weeks after Severus and I, Fred and George Weasley are living with a girl named Hannah who they both claim is the love of their lives, Percy married the British Prime Ministers daughter, Charlie married his partner Danny in the dragon colony where he worked, Bill and Fleur are still together and the two of them have five children, and well, I think you get the idea._

_I have to say reader that I never expected life to turn out this way. It still amazes me every day when I wake up beside Severus and hear the children in their rooms trying to be quite until Mummy and Daddy wake up. But as much as I thought about what would happen in my future when I was younger, I guess it turned out pretty good. Perfect, actually. I love my life, I love my job, I love my family, I love my friends, I even love out completely stupid house dog named Ronald._

_So dear reader, it is now that I leave you in this journey. I know that whatever else lies in my future I'll be able to handle it as long as I have the love of my life by my side. And it is my dearest hope for you, that one day you know the joys of having such a thing in your life. For the heart has reasons that not even the heart understands and when love picks its shade of color it demands to be seen, no matter what others think. Also reader, know that love is never wrong. It doesn't matter what form it appears in, as long as it's pure and true, it's never wrong._

_Good Day & Good Luck!_

_Hermione Jane Granger-Snape_


End file.
